“My doctor called me and said, ‘You have cured your diabetes‘.”
Stories like J.T.’s are exactly the reason I started Plant Centered Nutrition in the first place. Just like so many of us, J.T. did not grow up eating for nutrition – let alone, plant-based. A self-proclaimed “starving artist”, he would scarf down whatever food was available as he ran to his next acting gig.
As he got older, he was diagnosed with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes. After adopting a plant-based diet, a mindful eating practice, and incorporating gentle movement into his life, now at the age of 63, he has been able to shed over 50 pounds, reverse his type 2 diabetes, and cut his high blood pressure and cholesterol medications in half. His enthusiasm is infectious – but see for yourself!
J.T. is an actor, with credits in films, TV, audio, and the stage. He is also a teacher of tai chi, qigong, and meditation. He divides his time between Boston and Vermont and began his plant-based journey after years of health issues and struggles with weight.
J.T. comes from a family of six. That and his acting career have had a tremendous impact on how he grew up and eats as an adult. Coming from a family of six, eating was very much a competition. And as a professional actor, there are crazy schedules to keep up with. So, for the majority of his earlier life, eating was extremely mindless in that it was just about consuming calories. The starving actor’s story really was true for him.
For most of his meals, as he puts it, they would wind up being eaten at 60 miles an hour, having ordered it at a fast-food place and just squeezing in those calories. And that had an effect over time. He developed type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol issues. When he was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, that really scared him. Both of J.T.’s parents had type 2 diabetes to the point where J.T. was willing to do whatever the doctor told him to – and that involved medicine but also a new way of thinking about eating.
Unfortunately back then, but also today, a lot of doctors still recommend that as someone with type 2 diabetes, you have to cut way back on carbs and get all the protein you can. And of course, by protein, they’re talking about animal protein. They’re talking about red meat or chicken and some salad on the side. You’re supposed to avoid fruit because fruit has a lot of “sugar” in it, which they believed was fueling his type 2 diabetes at the time.
J.T. was determined. Over the course of about five years, he got things under control. He dropped 50 pounds and was in the proper range for his type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and cholesterol.
But the twist was that those ranges still included him having two injections in the belly every day and a couple of pills for different issues, as well as a lot of medical support. Sadly, in 2018, those numbers crept up again. And of course, doctors offered more medicine. It was at this point when J.T. realized he had to do something and he had to do it himself, for himself. He went to a cognitive behavioral therapist and started taking a deeper look at what his relationship with food looked like.
Over time, J.T. came up with some clear thoughts about his relationship with food. How mindless it was and how little he thought about the impact of his diet – we’ve all been there, right? He then saw the vegan documentary Game Changers, and that’s when he heard about whole food plant-based eating.
Luckily for J.T., his partner Marcy, had always been a vegetarian and pretty much a vegan most of her life. She was there to help him make some changes and adjust his diet toward being more plant-based.
It started in January of 2019, and within five months – not five years – J.T. lost another 50 pounds. But that wasn’t it. He reversed his type 2 diabetes and was no longer on any diabetic medication. For his high blood pressure and cholesterol, which are likely linked a little bit to his genetics, he only takes 25% of the medications that he used to take. And so his life changed completely.
Quite the success story, don’t you think? But we’re not there just yet.
J.T. was still feeling sluggish, for lack of a better term, despite leading a relatively active life. So, he decided that he had to figure out a better way to live and move his body. That’s when he turned to qigong and tai chi, a form of moving meditation rooted in traditional Chinese medicine. This helped him become more mindful about things, such as what was going on in the world and what injury he was doing to animals.
J.T. realized that if you love animals; if you love nature, you’ve got to make some changes and live your life accordingly. So, he then wanted to be someone who is fully whole food plant-based. And what helped him on this journey, according to J.T., was taking a course with us here at Plant Centered Nutrition.
After getting introduced to mindful and intuitive eating, J.T. felt a strong shift in mindset happening. Yes, he had to plan things a little more and implement some changes here and there, such as pulling his car over to eat instead of eating while driving, but it was all for a bigger benefit: his mental and physical health.
Now, J.T. is leading as an example. Even his doctors have interviewed him on how his plant-based lifestyle has impacted his health. And he shares his gift and zest for life with other people, too.
During the pandemic especially, he would go online and run morning qigong sessions for people. Participants all over the world would watch and follow along. He has taught qigong to people that are confined to wheelchairs because they don’t have the use of their legs, he’s taught it to senior citizens who have issues with balance as well as to those that have had heart transplants, stomach stapling, and all those things where you maybe don’t feel comfortable going into a gym. Over the course of his life, J.T. has touched, influenced, and been a role model to so many people around the globe.
But it’s not just about movement. The practice of qigong can also help navigate stress levels. And, for a lot of people, when they start going plant-based, it can be stressful when they don’t receive the support that they need or simply because changing lifestyles can be intense in general. And if there is something in your life that even for 10 to 15 minutes allows you to focus and reduce all that stress – like qigong – that’s probably going to help the positive part of your journey come that much quicker.
Knowing and identifying his “why” for his transition was a big help for J.T.. And his message can be incredibly inspiring, as it is never too late to change something. It also teaches you that you shouldn’t be afraid to get a second opinion and not give up on yourself. Try a mixed approach like J.T. that involves not only nutrition but also movement as well as a mindset – something that’s incredibly powerful when combined.
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**This is a personal account of one individual and does not replace the advice of medical professionals.**
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